


It's never enough (until your heart stops beating)

by OnyxDay



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Gotham (TV), Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Batman in Smallville, Canon Rewrite, M/M, Mentions of Martha Wayne
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2018-12-27 20:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12088524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnyxDay/pseuds/OnyxDay
Summary: Bruce Wayne has heard the rumors about Smallville. But he didn't trust rumors. So the next logical step was to move to Kansas and see it for himself.He didn't count on Clark Kent.





	1. for the teenage boys (they're breaking your heart)

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this is my first time writing Superbat and I'll be the first person to say that I don't know much about their comic counterparts, so this is mostly going to be an amalgam of a bunch of different canons and some fairly uneducated headcanons on my part. Most of what I know comes from basic comic knowledge (as well as the few comics I've read), the Bruce Timm cartoons, Smallville, Gotham, and what other fans post/talk about on tumblr.
> 
> In this AU Martha Clark (Kent) and Martha Kane (Wayne) met and became friends during boarding school because I can and I thought it would be interesting to see how that would affect the characters.
> 
> Also I'm sorry for how skeevy Lex is - I felt just as gross writing it as you do reading it.

The day that changed Clark Kent's life started off like any other. He did his morning chores, ate breakfast and ran to school after missing the bus (again).

"I just don't understand it, Clark," Chloe said as he joined up with her and Pete. "How is it that you can miss the bus, yet still get here at the same time as us?"

"Shortcut?" Clark responded with a smile and a shrug. Chloe narrowed her eyes at him, but accepted the answer anyway.

"So, how are things on the Lana front? Managed to talk to her yet?" Pete asked, knocking his fist against Clark's shoulder. Clark allowed himself to move with the impact and shook his head.

"You know I haven't," Clark replied. "Besides, she's dating Whitney. I'm not going to break them up just so I can have a chance. No matter how much of a jerk he is."

Clark was looking at Pete as he talked, so he didn't see the other student until he had already bumped into him. Time slowed down - or rather Clark sped up - allowing Clark ample time to take in the other student. He was shorter and leaner than Clark, unsurprising, but taller than Pete. His black hair lacked the curl of Clark's own and his eyes were a slightly darker shade of blue. They looked more natural than Clark's own vibrant shade. When time reasserted itself, the other student's books were on the floor and the only reason he wasn't down there with them was the hand Clark had wrapped around his arm.

"Oh gosh, I am so sorry," Clark said as he bent down to help the other boy pick up his books.

"It's not a problem," the other boy replied, a strange accent accompanying his words. Clark didn't recognize him or it, which was quite a feat considering everybody knew everybody in Smallville.

"Clark Kent," he introduced himself, handing back the books he had picked up.

"Bruce," he hesitated for a fraction of a second, "Kane. I just transferred."

"Nice to meet you, Bruce," Clark responded with a bright smile.

"Where's that accent from?" asked Chloe. Bruce smiled and readjusted his books.

"Same place I am. Gotham."

Pete whistled.

"No wonder you transferred. Gotham isn't exactly the nicest place in America," he commented.

Bruce smiled wryly.

"I'd say that's quite the understatement," he said. "But to be fair Gotham has it's hidden gems."

Clark grinned, "Well, let me be the first to say welcome to Smallville, Bruce. We've got our fair share of hidden gems, if you're willing to look for them," Clark carefully pat him on the back as he and his friends kept walking. He caught Bruce giving him a small salute just before he left and felt the grin widen slightly on his face.

"He certainly was... different," Chloe commented as the three of them took their seats in their first class of the day.

"He's the new kid, Chlo, of course he's different," Clark said with an indulgent smile.

"Not to mention he's from Gotham," Pete agreed. "It's one of the most corrupt cities in America."

"Still, he seemed a little off to me," Chloe remarked, frowning toward the door. "Didn't he seem a little off?"

Clark shook his head in amusement. It was classic Chloe, her reporter's eye always hunting for a new story. Then again, there was that brief hesitation before his last name. But that could mean anything and didn't mean Bruce was Smallville's latest story.

Not that they needed one. Everyone was still talking about Clark's miraculous rescue of Lex Luthor, they didn't need some new scandal on top of that. Well, that and the regular weird occurrences that Smallville seemed to attract. Though, Clark wouldn't mind if there was a new story to get everyone's attention off him again.

Speaking of Lex, he was waiting for him after school when Clark stepped outside. Clark frowned and told Chloe and Pete that he'd meet up with them later before heading toward Lex.

"Lex, hey," Clark said, smiling in confusion. "There something I can do for you?"

"What, a guy can't say hi to the person who saved his life?" Lex asked, embracing Clark in a brief hug.

"I suppose not," Clark agreed.

Lex looked like he was going to say something else but before he could something behind Clark caught his eye.

"Who's that?" he asked, nodding behind Clark. Clark turned and frowned before his gaze fell upon Bruce, waiting by the steps to be picked up.

"Oh, that's Bruce. He just moved here, actually," Clark answered, eyes locked on Bruce's lone figure. "He seems nice."

"Huh," Lex huffed.

Clark kept watching Bruce, so he noticed when Bruce looked up and caught sight of him. Clark smiled and waved good-naturedly. Bruce smiled and waved back until he caught sight of Lex. As Clark watched the smile fell from his face and his hand lowered. He looked scared, which was confirmed when he ducked behind a group of stragglers and out of Lex's immediate line of sight. Clark frowned.

"Hey, Lex, it was great seeing you, but I just remembered I left something in the Torch offices," Clark said, finally turning from Bruce, interrupting whatever Lex was telling him.

"Of course. If you want I could wait and give you a ride home?" Lex offered.

"I promised Chloe and Pete that I'd meet them at the Beanery later. But thanks for the offer," Clark said with a smile, already backing towards the school.

"One of these days I'm going to have you in my car, Kent," Lex said with a smile.

"Not today, Lex," Clark replied.

He watched as Lex got in the car and drove away and felt himself relax slightly. It was always nerve-wracking talking to Lex, keeping the perfect balance of homegrown farm boy, high school student, and good Samaritan. He moved away from the front doors of the school and toward the bench Bruce had taken up residence - his back turned carefully toward the parking lot.

"He's not as bad as he looks, y'know," Clark said as he slid onto the bench next to him.

"Who?" Bruce replied, feigning ignorance.

"Lex," Clark replied. "I saw your reaction to him, and he's really not that bad - despite what the papers say about him."

Bruce pursed his lips but didn't say anything.

"Who are you waiting for?" Clark asked, trying to keep up the conversation.

"My uncle."

"He running late?"

Bruce nodded. As relaxed as he seemed, Clark could tell he was worried from the way his eyebrows pulled together.

"If you want, you could call him from the Torch? It's the school newspaper. I, uh, kinda work there," Clark offered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Bruce bit his lip and frowned before finally nodding.

"I would appreciate that," he answered. Clark smiled and led him back inside the school and to the Torch offices. He sat at his desk as Bruce made the call from Chloe's. Clark watched Bruce and noticed the way he relaxed as soon as the phone was picked up.

"Alfred," Bruce said, his tone much lighter. "No, I'm still at the school. A friend allowed me to use the school paper's phone," Bruce turned and smiled at Clark. He felt warmth flood his stomach at that, happy that Bruce thought of him as a friend. "Of course, Alfred. Yes, I will. Goodbye, Alfred."

Bruce hung up the phone and smiled softly to himself.

"So?"

"He lost track of time getting the house set up and didn't realize how late it had gotten," Bruce said with a shrug. "He said he would pick me up in front of the coffeehouse in town."

"I was actually just about to meet Pete and Chloe there, you mind if I join you?" Clark asked, a hesitant smile pulling at his lips.

Bruce shrugged, but Clark saw the smile starting to form at the edges of his mouth. Clark's own smile spread into an easy grin as he locked up behind them.

"So, what brings you to Smallville?" Clark prompted, curious about the newcomer.

"It seemed like it would be a nice change of pace," Bruce shrugged.

"But why Smallville? I'm sure there are other small towns closer to Gotham to choose from," Clark pressed. Perhaps he was hanging out with Chloe too much, because her curiosity was starting to rub off on him.

Bruce didn't answer right away, and Clark took the pause to look at him. His lip was caught between his teeth and a furrow had etched itself between his brows. Clark had the sudden urge to reach out and smooth it away. The urge tripped him up, but he caught himself before Bruce could notice. He wasn't sure where the thought had come from, so he shook it away.

"An... old family friend lives here. She and my mother went to school together," Bruce finally answered.

"Did she help you and your uncle find the house?"

"No."

Bruce didn't elaborate and Clark didn't want to push him. So they walked in silence, Clark leading the way toward the Beanery. Once they made it into the town proper Clark began pointing out places of interest and providing a bit of backstory on the owners - things that growing up in a small town made it easy to know. Bruce hummed and nodded along, even though Clark knew there was no way he actually cared about how Mr. Hopkins dislocated his hip trying to fix his sign last year or how Lana's aunt ran the flower shop and owned the old theater beside it.

Clark finally stopped them right outside the Beanery and awkwardly stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Well, this is it," Clark shrugged, nodding behind him where the entry to the Beanery lay. "Do you wanna come in or are you gonna wait out here for Alfred?"

Bruce seemed to consider it before a small smile graced his face and he nodded.

"Why don't I wait inside? It can't hurt to meet new people."

"I can't promise new people, but they've got decent coffee," Clark smiled and held out the door for Bruce before following him inside.

He ordered their drinks and quickly found Chloe and Pete at one of the tables toward the back. He nodded his head for Bruce to follow him.

"Clark, there you are!" Chloe greeted looking up from one of the notebooks she had opened in front of her. Her eyes flickered to the side and her smile dimmed slightly. "And you brought Bruce."

"Yeah, he was still stuck at the school after I talked to Lex, so I let him use the Torch phone to call his guardian. Hope you don't mind?" Clark explained as he sat down .

"Not at all," Chloe answered, her gaze focused intently on Bruce as he sat across from Clark. "So, what's a big city boy like you doing in a small town like this?"

"My uncle and I thought it would be a nice change of pace. An old friend of my mother's lives here and it sounded nice," Bruce answered.

"You don't live with your parents?" Pete asked.

Clark watched as Bruce's face fell and felt a pang of sympathy even before he answered.

"They're dead."

"Oh man, I'm so sorry," Pete winced.

"That must have been awful. How did they die?" Chloe asked, her voice soft and empathetic.

"I'd rather not talk about it," Bruce said, looking down to where his hands fiddled with his napkin. They were twisted up so tight his knuckles had gone white. Clark put a hand over them before he could think about it. They were surprisingly soft.

"I'm sorry Bruce. My parents died when I was young," Clark said, squeezing Bruce's hands carefully.

Bruce considered the hand over his and slowly relaxed his grip and pulled away.

"Thanks," Bruce said. His voice was rough, but Clark decided not to comment on it.

"It's no trouble," Clark replied with a soft smile.

The table went quiet after that, no one quite sure how to continue the conversation.

They were still silent when Clark started to cough. His muscles ached and he knew even before he turned his head that Lana was approaching the table. Clark gripped the arms of his chair as she stopped next to Bruce. From this distance, the radiation from the meteor rock on her necklace felt like a wave of agony washing over him.

"Hi, I'm Lana Lang," Lana introduced herself with a smile and an extended hand. Bruce looked from Lana's hand and Clark before turning to Lana and shaking her hand with a smile.

"Bruce Kane. I just moved here from Gotham. It's nice to meet you," he said.

"Gotham, huh? That's a long way from Smallville," Lana pointed out, resting her hip against the table - which unfortunately brought the meteor rock that much closer to Clark. He felt sweat break out across his forehead.

"-Clark?"

Clark jolted when he realized Pete was talking to him, though he didn't catch what he said.

"Huh?"

"You okay, man? You're looking a little pale," Pete pointed out, frowning at him. Clark looked around and saw everyone looking at him.

"Fine. I just, uh, need some air," Clark said, standing up and only barely keeping himself from immediately collapsing again. This was probably the closest he had gotten to Lana, ever. He rushed toward the exit, each step bringing him relief from the effects of the green rock.

He let himself collapse against one of the cafe's walls and take some deep breaths. He always hated how weak the meteor rocks made him, almost as much as he hated the pain they brought. He could still remember the day he fell into a pit littered with the meteor rocks. If Pete hadn't been there to help him out...

Clark shook himself and took another fortifying breath.

"Are you alright?"

Clark turned and was surprised to find Bruce had followed him out.

"Fine. Allergies, I guess," Clark said with a shrug. Bruce considered him carefully, his dark blue eyes glinting with something a little too knowing for Clark's liking.

"Perhaps it was Lana's perfume," Bruce offered.

"Yeah, something like that," Clark replied. He really didn't like the way Bruce was looking at him - like Bruce could look into him and know him. Like he already did.

Clark shivered. It had nothing to do with the afternoon breeze.

"What are your... ma and pa like?" Bruce asked, breaking the silence. Clark laughed.

"Oh geez, please never call them that again. It sounds so weird coming from you," he said.

Bruce smiled slightly in return.

"They're great. I couldn't have asked for better parents. If Jonathan and Martha hadn't found me..."

"Martha?" Bruce asked, voice suddenly rough with some unnamed emotion.

"My ma," Clark answered, oblivious to the change in Bruce's tone.

"Huh," Bruce exhaled. "And you said they found you?"

"Well, I mean, when they adopted me," Clark stuttered. He really needs to be more careful about that.

Before Bruce could question him further, a shiny classic Rolls Royce pulled up to the curb and an older man stepped out. Though the man was put together, Clark could make out hints of paint and the various detritus that came from moving. It had to be Alfred.

"Bruce," Alfred greeted with a sharp English accent - which Clark had not been expecting.

"Alfred," Bruce immediately perked up at the sight of the English man.

"Am I correct to presume that you are the friend that lent Bruce the use of the phone?" Alfred asked Clark.

"Uh, yeah, er, yes, sir. I'm Clark. Kent. And it was no trouble, really," Clark found himself flushed for some inexplicable reason. The flush only deepened when Alfred raised an eyebrow at him. Who knew one eyebrow held so much power?

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Bruce asked. Clark was surprised yet again to find that he seemed nervous.

"Absolutely! Maybe we could meet up for lunch? I'll make sure Chloe doesn't go too reporter on you," Clark laughed.

Alfred raised his brow again and hummed. Bruce's cheeks went pink.

"I'd like that," he replied. "Tomorrow then."

With that and a nod, Bruce ducked into the car through the door Alfred was holding open for him.

"Thank you again for allowing Bruce the use of the phone. And... thank you for being his friend," Alfred said, concern only evident in the brief hesitation between words.

"There's no reason to thank me for that," Clark blanched.

Alfred smiled kindly, "Nevertheless, you have my gratitude. I expect I shall be seeing a lot of you in the days to come, so until then, have a nice rest of the day."

"You too," Clark replied, dumbfounded. Alfred nodded and finally got back into the car.

Clark spent perhaps more time than he should have watching the Rolls drive down the street. He wasn't sure what to make of the encounter and was sure it would be bugging him in the days to come. Unfortunately, he didn't get much time to dwell on it, as he noticed another expensive car - albeit a far newer one - pull up to the curb in front of him.

"There you are, Clark!" Lex greeted, unfolding from his Mercedes-Benz.

Clark summoned a smile to his face and greeted the man who was fast becoming his friend.

"Lex, hi!"

"Did you find what you needed at the Torch?" Lex asked. It took Clark a moment to remember the excuse he had fabricated.

"Actually, it turned out it was already in my bag," Clark responded.

"I hate it when that happens," Lex said. "Are you going inside? Let me buy you a drink."

Lex grasped Clark's arm and lead him back inside. They separated so Lex could buy them drinks. Even though Clark already had a drink at the table, he was sure it would be cold by now so he didn't mind Lex getting him another one - though he had asked for a to-go cup.

"You alright, Clark?" Chloe asked when Clark rejoined them.

"Yeah, just needed some air. Bruce thinks I might be allergic to Lana's perfume, or something. He had to leave though, but I invited him to eat lunch with us tomorrow, so don't ask too many hard-hitting questions, Chlo."

"Hey, I can't help it if I'm naturally curious," Chloe protested.

"Curious about what?" Lex asked, walking up and setting Clark's drink in front of him.

"Why the twenty-six-year-old son of Lionel Luthor insists on spending most of his time with a high schooler," Chloe replied smoothly.

"Chloe," Clark reprimanded. Chloe gave him an incredulous look.

"She's got a point, Clark," Pete pointed out.

"He's my friend," Clark insisted.

"No, it's fine, Clark," Lex said. I'll see you later?"

"Actually, would you mind giving me a lift home? I still have some chores to do on the farm," Clark asked. He really just didn't want to deal with Chloe's attitude today. First with Bruce, and now with Lex.

"Yeah." If Lex was surprised by Clark's sudden mood change, he didn't show it. Clark ignored Pete and Chloe's looks as he left with the older man.

Clark spent the ride staring out of the passenger side window and frowning.

"Is there something on your mind?" Lex asked, about halfway to the Kent farm. Clark snapped out of his daze and turned toward Lex.

"Huh?"

"You've been oddly quiet," Lex clarified.

"Oh, just preoccupied I suppose."

"Anything in particular?" Lex pushed, taking his eyes off the road to briefly glance at Clark.

"Why the sudden interest?" Clark asked.

"I'm your friend, Clark. I'm always interested in you," Lex replied.

"I guess it's just what Chloe said. It's bothering me, but I'm alright," Clark said, returning to the view of corn outside the window.

It was silent for the rest of the ride, which Clark was grateful for. As much as he appreciated Lex's friendship, he didn't have the energy to lie to him right now, and if they kept up a conversation, he'd inevitably have to lie. Clark honestly couldn't count the times he had wished he could tell people the truth about himself, but he bet that if he had a dollar for every time he did, his fortune would rival the Luthor's. Maybe even the Wayne's (poor kid, Clark couldn't imagine losing his ma and pa like that).

Lex pulled into the Kent farm and let the car idle in the driveway for a moment. He put his hand on Clark's thigh and squeezed, forcing Clark to look at him. Not that the squeeze hurt - nothing outside the meteor rock really hurt Clark.

"Are you sure you're okay, Clark?" Lex asked. Clark frowned, but nodded.

"Yeah."

"It's just, you've seemed distracted today. You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"I know, Lex," Clark lied, offering his friend a smile. Lex's hand was still on his thigh.

Lex smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. They rarely did.

"Good," he said, patting Clark's thigh once before removing his hand entirely. Clark took the opportunity to step out of the car.

"See you later, Lex," Clark said with a smile as he closed the door behind him.

"See you, Clark," Lex replied.

Clark waited until he could no longer hear Lex's car before he allowed himself to head inside.

It was only later, after he had gone to bed, that he realized he could still feel where Lex had gripped his thigh. He didn't sleep well that night.


	2. so darken your clothes (or strike a violet pose)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long with this! It was giving me some trouble to start with, then some family issues came up and I wasn't able to devote my time to anything else.
> 
> In my mind, this whole thing takes place in an alternate Earth sometime after or around season 3 of Gotham and season 1 of Smallville. Other than that, please disregard all canon knowledge, cause to be honest I'm winging it. I really enjoy both of these worlds, but I've made enough changes that it doesn't make sense for them to be exactly the same as the shows.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy.

Bruce wasn't sure what to make of Smallville so far. It was certainly different from what he was used to in Gotham, though he supposed nowhere could compare to Gotham. Yet, there was something about the small town that felt... off. A certain quality in the air, something about the way the locals talked around certain subjects. Subjects like the meteor shower that brought Bruce to Smallville in the first place.

Bruce was a child when the meteors hit, not quite yet three, but he still remembered seeing the news report. He was in the kitchen with his mother and Alfred, the television on in the background while they cooked. Something about the report caught Martha's ear and she turned, dropping the egg she had been holding when she saw the images on the screen. Smallville and it's farms had been reduced to smoking craters and crumbling buildings - it looked more like a war zone than a Kansan town. Alfred had cleaned up the egg while his mother watched in horror as the news anchors described the event. Bruce hadn't understood what happened, but he knew his mother was upset and that a lot of people had been hurt.

The next thing he remembers is his mother making frantic calls - she held several fundraisers in the following weeks to help pay for the cost of repairing the small town. Bruce didn't know why she cared so much about some random town in Kansas, but then he overheard a phone call between her and someone named Jonathan.

"How is she?" His mother had asked. Bruce didn't know what the man had said, but his mother sagged in relief.

"And the farm? How bad was it hit?" Martha's brows had furrowed the longer she listened and a frown tugged down the corners of her mouth.

"Oh, how awful. Have you gotten the funds I sent? I know I specified that a portion of it was to be given to the local farmers," Martha listened and nodded along.

"I'm glad. If you and Martha need anything, don't hesitate to call. I know you dislike asking for help, but-" she was stopped mid-sentence. Bruce, from his position by the door, watched as her face cycled through emotions he couldn't have named until much later in his life.

"I'll have Thomas set something up. It will be as legitimate as we can make it, considering, and I may as well use the opportunity to extend the Wayne Foundation to our sister city. Don't worry, Jonathan, everything will be handled. Give Martha my love, will you? Goodbye, Jonathan."

Bruce hadn't heard his mother mention Jonathan or the other Martha after that, so he put it out of his mind. And he did forget about them, at least until his parents' wills had been read. His mother had left a yearly stipend for "her dearest friend Martha" to be sent to a farm in Smallville, Kansas.

Despite his curiosity, Bruce hadn't been able to visit. Between the investigation into his parent's murder and everything that came after, he only barely convinced Alfred to let him stay in the States - his butler had wanted to send him off to Europe or someplace. Bruce had considered staying in Gotham, and as much as it had hurt him to leave his city, he knew he had to leave. He needed to learn more about the world, and he decided to start in Smallville.

The town had its fair share of strange rumors, rumors Bruce would have dismissed as insane three years ago. Then again, his parents being murdered by a shadow organization would have sounded insane three years ago. Still, the rumors might have been dismissed as small-town hi-jinks if there hadn't been so many consistent variables and the suspicious presence of the Luthor family.

Of course, Bruce Wayne can't exactly show up in small-town Kansas without a very good reason, so he adopted the moniker: Bruce Kane, a young Gotham orphan living with his uncle Alfred Kane.

Bruce had just wanted to observe some of these "meteor freaks" for himself, see if they had any resemblance to the creatures Hugo Strange had made of the Arkham inmates.

He hadn't counted on Clark Kent.

There was something different about the boy, something a little off about the way he held himself, like he didn't quite belong in this world. Bruce thought of himself as someone who could tell when someone lied to him - he certainly had enough people do it - and Clark seemed to be lying about nearly everything. He had a weight to him, the proverbial albatross around his neck, that seemed particularly tied to the meteor shower. How someone that was only a toddler at the time could feel guilty for such an event is beyond Bruce, but Clark seemed to believe the meteors were his fault. Not that he'd said anything, but Bruce thought himself fairly good at reading body language.

The additional surprise of Clark not only being friends with Lex Luthor but also being the adopted son of Martha and Jonathan Kent only solidified Bruce's budding theory that Clark was somehow involved in the meteor freak mystery. At the very least, he was someone Bruce needed to keep an eye on.

He really hadn't counted on how much his heart fluttered at Clark's touch.

Still, he had a mission and he was intent on seeing it through.

The first step was actually quite easy, especially with the unwitting help of Clark. Getting close to Chloe Sullivan was key to understanding the strange phenomenon in Smallville, as the budding reporter was one of the few to actually report on the events and the only one with any modicum of accuracy.

So it was very fortuitous that Clark had invited him to spend his lunch with the three friends.

Alfred pulled up in front of the school in silence. The buses hadn't arrived yet so the school was relatively empty of students.

"Master Bruce-"

"It's just Bruce here, Alfred, even when we're alone," Bruce corrected, giving his butler and guardian a reproachful look.

"Of course... Bruce. Apologies, but I have to ask. Is befriending a reporter really the best move right now? If this Chloe Sullivan became curious and decided to look you up, it would not take her much to find out who you truly are. It seems risky."

"I understand the risk, Alfred, but Chloe is paramount to my investigation," Bruce explained, not for the first time. Alfred sighed.

"I suppose there is no talking you out of this?" he asked.

"Absolutely not," Bruce agreed, giving Alfred a rare smile. Bruce climbed out of the Rolls - the one concession he made so Alfred could bring his beloved car with them - and into the bustle of the school.

It wasn't hard to find Clark and his friends, since the fourteen-year-old towered above most of his peers. Bruce steadied himself and summoned a smile to his face, a feat that wasn't as hard as he was expecting.

Bruce maneuvered his way through the crowd, his eyes firmly locked on Clark's frame. As Bruce watched, Clark perked up and turned, catching Bruce's eyes almost immediately. Bruce hated to admit it, but his heart picked up a beat at the smile that bloomed across the other teen's face.

"Hey, Bruce!" Clark greeted, once Bruce was close enough to hear him over the ambient hallway sounds. Chloe and Pete turned and waved in greeting.

"Hello. Anything interesting happen yesterday after I left?" Bruce asked, both because he was fairly certain that's something normal teens said to each other and because he wanted to stay in the loop of any 'happenings' in Smallville.

"Nothin' outta the ordinary," Pete answered with a shrug. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Sure, if Lex Luthor taking Clark home is covered by your definition of 'ordinary'," she interjected. Bruce shifted his gaze from Chloe to Clark, brows furrowed. He became even more concerned at the slight blush on Clark's cheeks and the way he subconsciously rubbed at his thigh.

"He just gave me a ride home, Chlo. Friends are allowed to do that, y'know," Clark grumbled. Chloe, Bruce, and Pete all gave him similar incredulous looks. Clark huffed and crossed his arms. Bruce tilted his head and regarded him carefully.

"It was nice of him to give you a ride home," Bruce conceded carefully, "but I'm sure even a small town like this teaches it's kids about the dangers of overly friendly older men. Especially men with power. Gotham was rife with stories of politicians and businessmen with certain... proclivities."

All three friends shuddered at the thought.

"Lex isn't like that, though," Clark insisted. "I know it's strange for him to be hanging out with me, but he's just lonely. And I'm pretty much the only person in Smallville that will give him the benefit of the doubt!"

Bruce relaxed his shoulders and set his face to a more sympathetic setting. Getting Clark riled up was not on his list of things to do today, and so Bruce put every effort into exuding a more open and understanding aura. Even Chloe and Pete relaxed when Bruce did.

"We know that Clark, and we believe you," Bruce said, resting a hand on Clark's surprisingly well-toned arm. He had to reach up to do it. He tightened his fingers slightly and was surprised at the lack of give in the muscles.

"We're just worried," Chloe added, giving Clark a kind smile. Bruce nodded in agreement.

"Honestly, man, I'm even worried about Brucie. It's Smallville, anyone who wasn't born and bred here for three generations is an outsider," Pete added, chuckling and punching Clark on the shoulder. Bruce watched Clark sway with the hit, despite the fact that there was no way it could have actually moved him. Bruce filed that away for later.

The bell rang, forcing the group to separate again, lest they are late for class. Before Bruce could fully turn away, however, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He needn't have turned to know who it was, Clark's touch already ingrained in his mind.

"Um, I just wanted to say, uh, thanks, I guess?" Clark said, looking extremely awkward. He ran a hand through his curls. A single spit curl stuck to his forehead. Bruce found himself focusing on it for far longer than he should have.

"What for?" Bruce asked, honestly confused. Clark shrugged and shifted his weight.

"I dunno, standing up for me? Defending Lex even though you don't like him? Just, thanks," Clark stuffed his hands in his pockets. He did that a lot.

"I don't like him, and I don't trust him. But you seem to, and you're my friend, so I guess I'll have to trust you," Bruce lied. Clark might be his friend, but that did not mean Bruce had to trust him. Bruce didn't trust most people - in fact, he only truly trusted Alfred. Maybe Jim Gordon. Maybe.

Bruce turned away again and made his way to his class. High school was boring, the subjects simple and the work easy, but Alfred insisted he attend if only to develop some sense of interpersonal skills. Bruce would have argued, but he knew it would look suspicious had he not enrolled. Of course, the ease of the work did allow Bruce time to work on his extra-curricular projects. In fact, the only class he actually paid attention to was geology, which happened to be the only class he shared with Clark, Chloe, and Pete. While Bruce was mostly interested in the upcoming study of local rocks, he could admit that he enjoyed the time spent with Clark - who had volunteered to be his lab partner, leaving Chloe and Pete paired up.

Since geology was the class before lunch, Bruce walked with the three friends to the cafeteria, though he had to double back to his locker to fetch his lunch.

On his way back, Bruce noticed a group of older students harassing someone from his own grade. He didn't remember her name, but he thought he remembered Chloe telling him she read the announcements over the intercom and occasionally wrote for the music section in the Torch. Bruce itched to intervene, but he didn't want to call too much attention to himself. With not a little regret he turned away and made his way back to the cafeteria.

Bruce could hear the sound of a rainstorm beginning outside, the slow rumble of thunder rattling the glass panes of the windows as he passed. It had been dark and overcast all day, and the charge of electricity in the air was nearly palpable.

When he returned, Clark and his friends were nowhere in sight. Bruce warily made his way deeper into the cafeteria, all to aware of the stares and whispers that followed him. Bruce hoped most were the normal new student speculations, though he knew a good portion of the stares were due to his Gotham origins. Though Bruce himself has tried to stay out of the media spotlight, to some apparent success since no one in Smallville has recognized him yet, the mayhem and destruction caused by the Tetch virus was international news. Not to mention Jerome and his cult of psychos. Or Hugo Strange and his monsters. Suffice to say Gotham was in the news a lot, and rarely for anything good.

"Bruce! Over here!"

Bruce turned and saw Clark waving him over to his table. Bruce couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips. There was something refreshing and honest about Clark's enthusiasm, even if the rest of him felt off. Perhaps it was due to his Gotham upbringing, but Bruce honestly enjoyed seeing Clark so excited to see him - the few friends he had in Gotham tended to keep their emotions close to their chest, while Clark wore his proudly on his sleeve.

"Hey, Brucie, you were around for all that weirdness in Gotham, right?" Pete asked before taking an overly large bite of his sandwich.

"Yeah, like we're ones to talk about weirdness," Chloe muttered.

"I was, actually," Bruce answered, ignoring Chloe. "My uncle and I were lucky not to be affected by the virus, but the carnage that ensued was one of the reasons we left Gotham."

"Did you know anyone affected?" Clark asked. Bruce was amazed to see the genuine concern on his face, rather than morbid curiosity. Bruce found he couldn't hold his gaze for long, so he ducked his head.

"More than I'd like," he answered. He could feel the guilt weighing on his shoulders.

The mood of the table dimmed at his words and the other three occupants struggled to find a new conversation topic.

Bruce felt the hairs on his neck and arms stand on end mear moments before lightning struck just outside the cafeteria. The windows shattered, raining glass into the cafeteria. 

Clark immediately grabbed Pete and shoved him to the floor, Bruce doing the same with Chloe on his side of the table. Their classmates screamed and panicked around them as glass rained down. Clark and Bruce tried their best to protect their charges from the falling glass. Once it stopped, the two carefully rose and brushed the glass from their clothes. Pete and Chloe dazedly sat up from the ground and the four of them peered over their lunch table to see what was happening outside.

Standing in the middle of a scorched circle, the bodies of several people scattered around her, was the same girl Bruce saw earlier. She was staring at her hands in shock. All along her arms were the jagged lines of bruises lightning left behind. Electricity ran along the lines of the scars and danced between her fingers.

"Oh no, Leslie," Chloe gasped. Clark was frowning, and Pete looked more shocked than anything.

Bruce had to stop himself from gasping in excited surprise. He didn't think he'd see a meteor freak so soon after coming to Smallville, especially in such close proximity. He quickly looked over to the victims on the ground and was relieved to see their chests moving with labored breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay for real, I don't know what it is about SuperBat fans, but y'all are the best. Deadass, the comments on this story are some of my favorite comments ever, on any fic I've written.
> 
> I love all y'all.
> 
> Everyone who's read, commented, and/or kudos'd this fic is magical and beautiful and amazing. Thank y'all so much. I'm sorry for using y'all this much. Y'all're amazing. Love y'all. xoxo


	3. i'm an ordinary guy (burning down the house)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the delay, had a bad case of the Depression™ and I didn't really feel like writing or really doing anything except laying about doing nothing. It just be like that sometimes, y'know? Anyhow, hope you enjoy what I've got here.

Clark was just about to vault over the table and talk with Leslie, try to calm her down maybe, but before he could Bruce was already out there and approaching the girl. Clark felt his breath catch in his throat and he could feel time slow down around him - and not because he was moving faster.

Clark could only watch in horror as Bruce - horribly human and vulnerable to electricity - approached Leslie. Almost immediately after he stepped out from the cover of the school he was soaked through with rain.

"What does he think he's doing?" Chloe hissed into his ear. Clark shook his head and shrugged. He honestly couldn't say.

"Leslie?" Bruce said, slowly approaching the still crackling girl. Clark's heart seized when she turned to him. "That's your name, right? Leslie? You do the announcements in the morning."

"What about it?" she snarled, spikes of electricity jumping off her and dancing between her fingers. The wet ground around her sparked with electricity. Clark thought it looked like she was ready to unleash another attack any moment, and with Bruce drawing her attention like that he didn't like the chances of his friend getting out unsinged. Bruce held his hands up calmly and stopped approaching the girl, though he was still far too close for comfort.

"Nothing," Bruce assured her, slowly walking around her. "My name is Bruce, I'm new."

As Clark watched, Bruce slowly turned Leslie away from the interior of the cafeteria, and suddenly he knew what the other boy was trying to do.

"Chloe, Pete, get everyone away from the cafeteria and quickly and quietly as you can," Clark told them, already creeping out from behind the lunch table.

"Clark, what do you think you're doing?" Pete hissed. Clark shook his head and gestured toward the other lunch tables where most of the students were still cowering. Satisfied that Pete and Chloe would take care of them, Clark turned back to Bruce and Leslie. He knows he must have missed something because Leslie was crackling with more electricity than before.

"So you think you're funny?" Leslie growled. She gestured to the teens on the ground, "They thought they were funny too, always picking on poor defenseless Leslie. But I'm not so defenseless now, am I?"

Her fingertips started crackling again and before Clark could really think about it he was outside and tackling Bruce out of the way as she let another stream of electricity loose from her fingertips. It struck Clark in the shoulder and even exacerbated as it was by the water he barely felt it, too preoccupied with checking Bruce over for injuries.

"You okay?" Clark asked.

"Fine," Bruce replied, already up and looking for Leslie. Clark looked around as well but didn't see her. She must have run off after attacking them.

"What were you thinking?" Clark demanded, glaring at his friend.

"I was trying to distract her so she wouldn't go after anyone else," Bruce replied, shoving his wet hair out of his face.

"By putting yourself in her path? Bruce, she was about to attack you!"

"Well, I'm lucky you were here, then," Bruce said. "Thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome!" Clark snapped, still full of righteous anger. He's so furious he almost missed the crackle of electricity coming from behind him. He knocked Bruce to the side again just before it hit them, then got between him and Leslie

"Leslie, stop!" he pleaded.

"What, like they did? I don't think so!"

Electricity hit him before he could move out of the way, the current running through his body, and the force of his muscles contracting sent him flying into the side of the building and through the wall.

He came to laying in a hospital bed. Groaning, he sat up and tried to clear the buzzing from his ears, belatedly realizing what he thought was buzzing was actually the steady beep of a heart monitor.

"Clark! You okay, man?"

Clark struggled to bring Pete into focus, and after blinking a few times he finally cleared his vision enough to make out his best friend.

"'M'fine, Pete," Clark groaned, reaching to take the clip for the heart monitor off his finger, but he was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't be moving," Bruce told him. Clark turned to look at him and saw that his clothes had been traded for dry hospital scrubs and that he had a blanket wrapped around himself.

"Y'all ain't gotta fuss over me," Clark protested. Bruce's eye twitched.

"By all rights you should be dead, Clark, so you'll have to forgive us just this once," Bruce countered, his hand gently pressing Clark back into the hospital bed.

"I called your Ma and Pa, they should be here soon. Chloe's talking with the sheriff right now, but she should be back soon," Pete reassured him.

"What happened? Where's Leslie?" Clark asked, swallowing thickly around his dry throat. Bruce handed him a glass of water and he drank it down steadily as Pete explained.

"We don't know, man. She kinda just, disappeared after she attacked you. It was really freaky. It was like she just turned into electricity," Pete told him. He shook his head. "I've seen some weird stuff in Smallville, but that was strange even for us."

"Is everyone okay?"

"Aside from you and the Henderson brothers, yeah," Pete said. "I mean, Bruce has a few bruises, but that was mostly from bein' knocked down, right Bruce?"

"It's nothing," Bruce reassured him, resting his hand back on Clark's shoulder. Clark didn't know what his face was doing, but Bruce smiled at him and shook his head. "Honestly, I've gotten worse."

Clark wanted to say that that wasn't as reassuring as he thought, but his parents walked in before he could. Pete and Bruce immediately got up and Martha rushed in to take Pete's place by his side.

"Oh, Clark, are you okay?" his mother asked, one hand gripping his. "Pete called and told us what happened, we were so worried."

"I'm fine, Ma, honest," Clark insisted.

"You were electrocuted and thrown through a wall, son. You're lucky you're not in a coma," Jonathan said, walking to Clark's other side.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I'm going to go check on Chloe, give you some time with your son," Pete piped up. Martha and Jonathan smiled and said their goodbyes and he left.

Bruce, however, lingered a little longer. Clark mentally reprimanded himself for his poor manners and gestured Bruce forward. Hesitantly, Bruce complied.

"Ma, Pa, this is my friend Bruce Kane. He just transferred from Gotham," Clark said, gesturing to the other boy. "Bruce, these are my parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent."

"It's very nice to meet you," Bruce replied, holding out his hand for Jonathan to shake. Jonathan grasped it and dragged Bruce in for a firm hug, much to Clark's amusement and Bruce's obvious discomfort. When he finally let go, Bruce turned to Martha and gave her a small smile. The heart monitor tripped a beat and Clark glared at it.

Martha regarded Bruce with careful eyes, a furrow between her brows.

"It's nice to meet you, Bruce. Are your parents going to pick you up? I'd love to meet them," Martha asked, a smile catching on the corners of her lips.

"No, ma'am, my uncle is going to be picking me up. My parents... they're no longer with us," Bruce answered, staring at his feet. Martha made a small noise of sympathy.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Bruce, truly," Martha told him, something in her voice firm and sincere. "And please, call me Martha."

"Tha-"

"Clark!"

The door burst open and there was Lex Luthor. While he still looked every bit the billionaire's son, there was something frazzled and energetic about him. Clark was sure that if he had hair it would be in complete disarray.

"I heard what happened and I came as soon as I could," Lex continued, stepping up to the foot of the hospital bed. "Rest assured, I will be taking care of all of your medical expenses."

"There's no need for that, Lex," Clark protested.

"Really, there's no need," Jonathan agreed, crossing his arms over his chest and planting his feet.

"Mr. Kent, I understand you dislike me, but I won't let you risk your farm just to pay off medical bills when I have more than enough money to spare," Lex said.

Clark watched Bruce squirm and almost shrink into himself almost as soon as Lex entered the room, but now there was something like steel in his face. Clark was about to ask him what was wrong, but then Bruce was excusing himself and leaving the room. Clark followed him with his eyes and managed to catch Lex's contemplative look as he turned back to the conversation.

"I don't need a Luthor to pay for the medical care of my son," Jonathan insisted.

"Dad," Clark interjected.

"No, Clark, it's fine," Lex said. "I understand. But if there's anything you need, anything at all, you know you can ask me, right?"

"Of course," Clark agreed.

"Mrs. Kent, always a pleasure," Lex smiled and nodded at her, then turned to Jonathan. "Mr. Kent, if you change your mind, you know where to find me. Clark, I hope to see you when you get better."

And with that he left, leaving Clark and his parents alone.

"Clark what were you thinking?" Jonathan demanded, almost as soon as the door shut on Lex. "You could've died!"

"We both know I would've been fine, Pa," Clark protested.

"Actually, I don't think we do know that, son! We don't know anything about your powers or what you are or aren't capable of!"

"Jonathan," Martha reprimanded her husband.

"I had to do something, I wasn't going to let Leslie hurt anyone else and I knew I had a chance of standing up to her," Clark insisted, looking between his parents.

"And just look where that got you, son. You're lucky you were weak enough for them to put in an IV or you'd be in even more trouble," his father said, nodding to the line in Clark's hand. Clark blinked down, having not even noticed the IV there before then. Just the sight of it was enough to worry him; if he had been week enough for them to put in an IV then Leslie was more powerful than he originally thought.

"Clark, honey, we were just worried," Martha soothed.

"I know, Ma," Clark said. "But I've got all these abilities, shouldn't I be using them to protect people?"

Martha and Jonathan exchanged a look.

"Of course, son," Jonathan said, "but you have to be careful."

"The world isn't always a kind place," Martha added. "You heard about that doctor in Gotham, the one that did all those horrible experiments on his patients. Those were just regular humans, imagine what someone like that would do to you, Clark."

Clark looked down at the sheets covering him and frowned. He had heard about the Arkham experiments, and he'd be lying if he said they hadn't scared the living daylights out of him. He saw E.T. once as a child and had nightmares for months, and he really didn't want anyone to discover who he was - or what he was, not that he knew himself.

"I know Ma, but if I can help then I have to do what I can. You both taught me that," Clark said, looking up at his parents. Martha and Jonathan smiled at him, and the small family embraced.

There was a quiet knock on the door and after the all clear it opened, showing a timid and still mostly wet Bruce standing in the doorway.

"Bruce, come in, please," Martha said, gesturing for him to enter. Bruce shuffled a bit before entering the hospital room.

"I just wanted to say that my uncle is here, so I'll be going soon."

"Oh, why don't you invite him in? I'd love to meet him," Martha requested. Bruce seemed to falter as he considered it, then sighed and opened the door wider.

"Uncle Alfred? Mrs. Kent wants to meet you," Bruce said out into the hall. Shortly after, Alfred walked into the room.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kent," Alfred said, inclining his head slightly, "Mr. Kent. I see you've both raised a fine young man, from what I hear he saved my nephew's life."

The accent still threw Clark off, but Martha and Jonathan seemed to take it in stride. Martha smiled widely at him and rose from her position by his bed to greet the British man.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Kane, is it?"

"No ma'am, Alfred Middleton. I'm Bruce's uncle on his mother's side. I've been raising him since they passed, terrible tragedy, far too young to be gone." Alfred explained.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, both of you. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you," Martha said, clasping Alfred's hands in hers to show her sympathy. "You know, when I was younger I knew a Martha Kane. I can't help but wonder if there's any relation," Martha commented.

"I couldn't tell you, ma'am," Alfred replied.

"Please, call me Martha. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other, what with the boys being so close and all."

"How about you two join us for dinner after Clark get's out of the hospital," Jonathan suggested.

"That sounds wonderful," Alfred agreed.

Clark and Bruce exchanged looks, and Clark couldn't help but feel as if there was some secret conversation happening underneath the one they were hearing.

Too bad he didn't have super hearing.

"We should get going, Uncle Alfred," Bruce chimed in. "It's getting late and we still have a lot to unpack"

"Of course, Bruce. Martha, Jonathan, it's been a pleasure. Clark, I hope you get better soon."

"Thanks, Alfred," Clark said, smiling and waving at him and Bruce as they left.

Clark nearly collapsed back into the bed after they left, feeling drained from all the people coming in and out of his room. He closed his eyes and let himself relax, his body still tense from the shock of the electricity. Not for the first time, he was beyond grateful for his powers because without them he knew he would have been dead. Still, however it happened, Leslie's lightning was dangerous to him if it could have knocked out his powers for so long. Clark had no doubt the meteor rocks were at fault somehow, he just didn't know the specifics.

Clark sighed and let himself relax even more, and before he knew it he was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was surprising dialogue-heavy, though I suppose Clark chapters are just like that. Anyway, hope y'all like this!
> 
> As for the IV, I'll explain it next chapter, don't worry ;)


	4. there is a light (that never goes out)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Work has been kicking my ass lately, so I haven't been able to devote the time I'd like to this fic, but I hope y'all like what I've got here! A bit more insight into Bruce's move to Smallville and an explanation for how they got the IV into Clark's arm the last chapter.

Bruce didn't know what to think as he and Alfred left the hospital. On the one hand, he had gotten to see a so-called "meteor freak" in person, but on the other hand, Clark had risked his life for him and was now in the hospital along with the students Leslie had hurt. Bruce felt grateful to the other boy, of course, but he shouldn't have risked himself for Bruce, especially when Bruce had set it up so Clark could have run away with the other students. Even as he worried about the boy in the hospital, he couldn't help but be angry at him for disrupting Bruce's plan. And now he had lost his chance to study how and why those affected by the meteor rocks obtained their powers. If only he could have seen the moment Leslie got her powers, perhaps then he could figure out the catalyst. Though he had a pretty good guess.

"Bruce, if your thoughts were any louder, you'd be saying them out loud," Alfred said, interrupting said thoughts. "Has it got anything to do with young Mr. Kent?

"I'm worried about him, Alfred," Bruce explained tersely.

"That much was obvious, yes. Anything more specific?"

Bruce sighed and frowned. He knew that if he explained it to Alfred the way it was in his head, the butler would reprimand him for thinking so little of himself. And it wasn't that Bruce thought low of himself, it was just that his mission to protect others was more important than any one person, even himself. But Alfred wouldn't understand that either.

"I don't think Clark looks after himself very well," Bruce replied. "He threw himself in front of me without a second thought and nearly pulled out his IV when he woke up."

"Seems a bit hypocritical of you, Bruce," Alfred said, sending Bruce a dubious look out of the corner of his eye.

"Perhaps, but Clark faces different challenges than I do. That lightning bolt should have killed him Alfred, but he woke up before any of the other victims with barely a bruise to show for it. I don't know if he's been affected by the meteor rocks somehow, but he's certainly not normal," Bruce explains, "and he's not doing a very good job at hiding it."

In fact, had Bruce not slipped a piece of the green meteor into Clark's pocket before the medics took him he doubted they would have been able to get the IV needle through his skin at all. The remains themselves were a lucky find, shattered and scattered as they were near where Leslie had been standing. Honestly, he was lucky the meteor rock worked at all, as he was only operating on a hunch in the hopes of protecting Clark's secret for a little while longer. With Lex around, one could never be too careful and Bruce didn't want a Luthor anywhere near Clark.

Still, Clark should be more careful. If he wasn't prepared for situations like this, his secret wouldn't remain as such for very long.

The town was so small it barely took them more than fifteen minutes to get from the hospital to the house. It was a quaint little midcentury ranch house that immediately drew Bruce and Alfred's eyes. Bruce was drawn to the high ceilings and finished basement, Alfred adored the ample garden space and the deck that overlooked the woods behind the neighborhood.

The house was probably one of the newest houses in Smallville and it certainly stuck out against the farmhouses around it, especially after the remodeling Bruce had paid for. One side of the house had been completely opened up, the exterior walls having been replaced with tornado-proof glass. A wrap-around porch had been added and the exterior had been painted a nice calming blue. The interior had been drastically changed as well, most of the interior walls having been knocked out and the ceiling beams left exposed in the new space. The basement was converted into spaces for Bruce to train his body and mind, with most of the space left open for an at-home gym and a small room reserved for meditation.

Alfred had been busy turning the space into a home, having spent their first day in Smallville painting all the rooms bright colors and moving the new furniture to their proper rooms with the help of the movers they hired from Metropolis. The end result was something so vastly different from the Wayne Manor that the two could hardly be compared with the other. Bruce enjoyed the differences, especially the abundance of Kansas sun their new house, though he knew he'd eventually miss the gloom of Gotham.

Of course, none of this was at the forefront of Bruce's mind as he and Alfred entered their Smallville home that night. No, he was too pre-occupied with the boy in the hospital bed to appreciate the cheerful yellow interior. His mind was too focused on the farmboy with the strange reaction to meteors to pay any attention to the royal blue stairway leading down to the basement. How could he spare any time considering the exact shade of gray of the basement walls when his brain was devoting that time to Clark Kent. The simple blue of the meditation room was merely an afterthought as Bruce settled into a comfortable meditative pose.

Clark presented a unique puzzle for Bruce to sort out. For all intents and purposes, Clark appeared to be a normal Kansas teen, perhaps a bit larger than the average fourteen-year-old, but that could be put down as genetics and being raised on a farm. But his strange reaction to the meteor rock and his resistance to Leslie's lightning strikes firmly place him in the "unusual" category - a dangerous place to be, everything considered.

Martha and Jonathan were aware of Clark's abilities, that much was clear from the little Bruce overheard of their conversation in the hospital room. They were obviously trying to help him hide his powers, though none of them seemed all that adept at subterfuge. Perhaps the powers were a recent development.

Bruce sighed and focused on settling his breathing and emptying his mind, a more difficult task than usual with the thoughts circling his head. Bruce kept at it, and eventually relaxed into a calm meditative state, his mind clear of all thought and his breathing evenly paced. Like this, it was easy to settle into the gentle rhythm his heart made through his bruises and the small cuts from the shattered glass. He could feel each wound like an extension of his pulse and slowly he focused on each one individually, then the pain as a whole, mentally mapping each new scar and adding it to the small collection he already bore. Then, taking in another deep breath, he began relaxing each of his muscle groups, starting at his feet and moving upwards. He stayed like that, completely relaxed, nearly swaying with each breath until the gentle knock on the door roused him. No doubt it was Alfred calling him up for dinner.

Sure enough, when Bruce ascended the stairs he was greeted with the pleasant aroma of Alfred's cooking.

"It smells wonderful, Alfred," Bruce said, gathering napkins and utensils for the both of them as he went to set the table.

"I'm glad you think so, Bruce." Alfred carried the two plates to the dining room. "If there's one advantage to moving here, it's the access to fresh ingredients. I've made lamb chops with a raspberry sauce and a side of herb roasted carrots, all locally sourced in Smallville."

Bruce smiled in thanks and picked up his utensils, ready to sample the no doubt delicious meal, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Bruce leaned back in his chair and was surprised to find Chloe Sullivan on his front porch.

"I'll get it, Alfred," Bruce said before the butler could rise from his chair.

Bruce opened the door with a pleasant but confused look on his face.

"Chloe? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, I mean nothing specific. Sorry, did I interrupt?"

"Not at all, we were just about to sit down for dinner. I'm sure we have enough if you'd like to join us?" Never let it be said that Bruce Wayne didn't have manners, Alfred hardly would have tolerated anything less.

"Thanks, but I don't think this will take long," Chloe said, glancing behind him and jerking her head behind her. "Can we talk out here?"

"Of course." Bruce looking behind himself and indicated that he would only be a minute before following Chloe outside.

Chloe was pacing along the porch, her hands wringing and twisting themselves into knots.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong? You look worried," Bruce asked, watching her pace back and forth.

"What? Oh, fine, just worried about Clark," she said, dismissively. "Bruce, I think I know how Leslie got her powers."

Bruce's heart stuttered and he held his breath for a beat before exhaling again. He doesn't know how he got into Chloe's good graces so soon after meeting her, but he's grateful if the result is her coming to him with this news instead of Clark or Pete. Speaking of...

"That's great, but why come to me? Isn't that something you should tell the police?"

Chloe scoffed and finally stopped her pacing.

"Yeah right, because the Smallville police will be able to handle a girl who can literally summon electricity. I don't think so." She shook her head. "Look, Bruce, normally I wouldn't have come to a virtual stranger with something like this, but I figure you'd know something. I mean, Gotham has those weird people with abilities, right?"

"Yes, but it's not as if I dealt with them directly," Bruce protested, though he was lying. He shook his head and laid a hand on Chloe's shoulder to ease her back down the porch steps. "I think you should go home, get some rest, then in the morning you can tell me more, and we can fill in Pete and Clark, okay?"

Chloe nods. "Right, yeah, of course. Sorry for interrupting your dinner."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Chloe. Get some rest and we can come up with a solution in the morning," Bruce suggested.

He watched Chloe ride her bike down the street until she disappeared, then turned and walked back inside. Alfred had put a cloche over his food to keep it warm, though the butler had already eaten most of his own food. Bruce sat back down and finally began eating.

"What did Miss Sullivan want?" Alfred inquired.

"She's worried about the attack at school," Bruce answered simply. He ate quickly and in silence, gathering the plates when he was done. He rinsed them and loaded the dishwasher before retreating to his room.

Bruce had heard whispers of Chloe's 'Wall of Weird', though he had yet to set his eyes on the real thing. He imagined it looked something like the spiderweb of news articles Bruce had taped to his bedroom wall. Most of the articles were from Chloe herself, posted to the online Torch archive and accessible to anyone across the country thanks to the internet. A few were copies from real newspapers and there were even a handful from publications such as 'UFOs Daily' and 'The Weekly Cryptid'. And in the middle, the singularity that seemed to have started it all, was an article detailing the meteor shower that hit Smallville a twelve years ago.

The day the meteors came to Smallville. The day Lana Lang lost her parents. The day the Kents found Clark.

Clark, who reacted adversely to the meteor rock. Clark, who seemed to have powers of his own. Clark, who no one knows exactly where he came from. Clark, who had managed to catch Lex Luthor's eye.

Clark, who Bruce was rapidly beginning to suspect had origins closer to the meteors than himself or Pete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Bruce's house looks a bit like a mix of these two houses, mostly in that it's essentially the first house, lifted off the ground and with a wrap-around porch like the second one:  
>   
> 


End file.
